Pain Under Howling Cries
by moon plus stars
Summary: Leah and Jacob have to bear the pain of knowing they will never be enough. They are falling off the edge, pushed over by the love they are denied. The ground is approaching quickly, and they will have to learn to save themselves and each other, before they hit the bottom.
1. Cold Understanding

**Hey, this is my second fanfiction. I will warn you, it is probably totally lame, but whatever. Enjoy and please review.**

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><p>I run. It is such a simple thing, but sometimes you get into your head that if you run fast enough, if you run far enough, you can escape your problems. I wish I could escape mine. If I could outrun my pain, then perhaps I wouldn't be so messed up.<p>

I am alone, just like I want to be.

As each paw pounds the forest floor, I begin to regret this decision. I mean, he doesn't need me. He gets plenty of visitors… well, okay, not really. But that doesn't mean I have to be one of them. Just because he took my place with the newborn, that doesn't imply that he deserves my gratefulness or my… apology.

I absolutely hated that word. It was a terrifying thing, an apology. I had paced in a circle for a half-hour in the woods just trying to come up with what to say. Let's just say that apologizing is not my forte. I mean, what should I say? "Hey, sorry that you were dumb enough to take my place with the newborn and break half the bones in your body."? No, that doesn't seem right.

And you know the worst part about this is? Sam didn't tell me to apologize to him. Nope, I was doing this out of my own free will. For some odd reason, letting him get hurt like that and not even telling him that I was thankful seemed… unmoral. I know, since when did I care about what's right or wrong? And since when did I care about _Jacob Black's _feelings? Honestly, I have no fucking idea.

I feel Quil and Embry enter my head. I try to stay in my sort of good mood, so I make no rude comments on their presence. I just keep running, my mind blank.

_Dude_, Quil says, or rather thinks, _you want to go cliff-diving later?_

Embry answers, _Yeah, sure. Call me later._

I subconsciously begin to think about the last time I had been cliff-diving. It had been so long ago. And it had been with _him_. I remember. I had stopped so I wouldn't be reminded of him. Quil and Embry heard me, and just like that, they were gone.

Am I that bad? I know I can be bitter sometimes, okay, all of the time, but maybe there's a part of me that still knows the Leah I used to be… the one that _he_ had loved. It's amazing that after a couple years, it still hurts to say his name, even _think_ his name. I don't know how everything that had seemed so right suddenly couldn't be more wrong. And it wasn't a random girl, it was my _cousin_. Who was more like my _sister_. He had to imprint on _her_, the person I trusted _most_.

I feel the hole inside my chest open even wider, and I want to scream. It wasn't fair. It just wasn't fair. But, hey, nothing's fair. I had been planning on getting out of here and going to college, try to make something of my life and get away from _him_. That was taken away. I thought that _he_ would be by my side forever, my prince charming, but that was taken away too. I thought that I could always confide in _her_, and you know what happened? It was taken away.

_She_ should have been there. When _he_ broke my heart, _she _should have been the one I could turn to. I would tell her everything and cry into her shoulder, and she would comfort me. That was how it was supposed to be. But no, even having someone to be there for me… that was also snatched from my grasp. So you see, life is never fair. _Never_. I know I'm a bitch for this, but sometimes I _try_ to make them feel it, especially Sam, when we're phased. I mean, is it so wrong? After all the pain he put me through, is it so wrong to throw just a fraction back at him?

I approach the Black's house, and knock on the door. Billy opens it and, with a hint of surprise, says, "Hello, Leah. I suppose you are here to see Jake?"

I nod, and he continues, "He's asleep, but feel welcome to wake him up. Come on in."

I step inside and look around. I haven't been here in a while. It is all the same though. The wood floor, the rickety kitchen table, the smallness of it that makes it feel like a home nonetheless. Walking to Jacob's room, I wonder if he even wants to see me. Probably not, I'm most likely the last person he wants to see, but oh well. He'll have to deal with it.

The door squeaks in protest as I push it open. Jacob's soft snoring is the only sound in the room as I walk in silently. I suppose I could always turn back, say to Billy that he looks like he needs the sleep, never think about it when I phase. I don't _want_ to apologize. Me-apologizing- it just seems so _wrong_ and yet it feels so right. So I step to the foot of the small bed where one of Jacob's feet is hanging off the end. It's sad that he can't have a bed big enough. I guess he just can't afford it.

I begin to think about Jacob's family. First, his mom died, so that left Billy to care for three children. Next, Billy went into a wheelchair, putting the responsibility on the kids' shoulders. Then, Rebecca left with Rachel following. They both didn't want to deal with caring for an old man in a wheelchair and dumped it on their younger brother, whose life was more complicated than they could imagine. It sounds so cruel, inflicting the pain of having to deal with his school, handicap father, and then being a werewolf all on the same child. He had been twelve when his second sister left, and he had asked around for odd jobs ever since. He had repaired my mom's car in return for some money that he felt guilty about taking, but we all knew that he needed.

Holy crap, life _is_ unfair.

"Jacob? Can you wake up for just the slightest second?" I try to sound nice, and I am glad that not a single curse word had escaped my lips.

He groans, and shifts slightly, his forehead slightly wrinkling with pain as his broken leg turns.

"Come on, shit-face, I don't have all day." I say sharply, crossing my arms.

Without opening his eyes, Jacob mutters, "Good morning, Leah. How are you on this terrible day?"

I retort back, "Every day is terrible."

"Not to me."

I look at him with disbelief. "What the hell! Do you realize that you have lost everything? You are broken! Broken! And not just physically! You didn't have a shot against the bloodsucker, and you lost the girl! And she's going to become your worst enemy. What then? We live in a world of pain, Jacob. And the world is never fair. When will you grow up and realize that?"

His face is emotionless as he looks away, and I sigh. "I didn't come here to give you a life's lesson. I just wanted to say thanks for what you did. It was… nice of you. I didn't think that anyone would do that for me."

Jacob smiles softly. "You know, Leah, is it so hard to believe that someone might care?"

"What are you saying?"

His smile goes wider, and he motions for me to come closer. I step around to the side of the bed, and he beckons me even closer. I kneel down to his eye level, and he turns his head to face me.

"I'm saying that even when it seems that we all hate you, a part of me can say that I actually care. 'Cause if I didn't, I wouldn't have taken your place. And trust me, that's saying something; it hurt like hell."

I frown slightly, knowing that it really did. I had seen it close up: the newborn crushing his bones, injecting its venom into his body, inflicting such severe pain. The memory was forever burned in my mind.

"And I wanted to say I'm sorry. As much as I hate to admit this, it was stupid for me to take it on alone, and I should have requested your help. And, frankly, that was really stupid of _you_. I mean, what idiot would do that? Well, you apparently, but just to let you know, that was really stupid."

"Yeah, I know. And it totally chased me back and bit me in the ass." He shrugs with his good shoulder.

"Anyway, I'm really sorry that you got hurt. It should have been me." I hated admitting that to him, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Jacob gazes at me with mixed emotions whirling in his black eyes. I wonder what he's thinking till he says, "You know what the strange thing is? I don't regret saving you. I mean, I should, but I don't. It's fucked up, I know. And I accept your apology. Doc says I'll be okay soon, and if you want… we can race."

I smile, truly and really smile. Racing: it was something we had done every now and then, just for the sport of it. It had become fun though, and both of us found running was something that helped to numb the pain.

"Sounds like a plan. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I miss racing with you. And we mention this little cooperation to no one for as long as possible. Got it?"

He nods, and I stand up. As I walk out the door, I look back and say, "By the way, I hate you."

"Hate you too," he replies good-naturedly.

I leave the room, the smile still across my face. I hadn't smiled like this in a while. I had been too bitter to be happy enough to smile. Now, as I walk out of the Black's house, I wonder why Jacob, annoying as he is, can coax a smile out of me. There's just something about him that screams: _Forget every worry in the world and be happy_.

I don't know, I just couldn't help letting the grin stay on my lips.

I close the door behind me, and turn to see Bella Swan in her beat-up, red truck. The smile disappears to change into a scowl. God, that girl makes me so _angry_. I have no idea why Jacob loves her. She's just like Sam. A heartbreaker. In some ways, she's worst. Even after breaking him, she comes back to torture him some more. It was just _wrong_. I couldn't even explain how wrong it was. The way she treated him: it was disgusting. After all he's done to make her happy, she stabs him in the back. And every dagger that pierces his heart is like a dagger in ours. He can't ever escape the pain she inflicts on him, and in turn is inflicted on us. And here she is again to break him some more. Lord, please let him survive this.

As I think of Jacob's pain embed into our minds, I realize why Jacob and I are in some ways compatible. He's like me. A reject, the person who is dumped on the floor in the end. The one who wasn't good enough. We both weren't good enough for those we loved, and we never would be. I wasn't good enough for S-Sam, and he wasn't good enough for Bella.

Still, I knew that he _was_ good enough for her. Actually, she didn't even deserve him or his love. She's so selfish. He mourns over not being enough for her, and all she can do is rub it in his face. She doesn't even deserve his pain. The hurt he bears because of her; she doesn't deserve to have anyone hurting over her, Jacob or the bloodsucker.

I run from the porch and into the woods before she could look up and notice me. I strip, and phase. As my muscles bunch and then release, I bask in the pleasure of letting the animal out. As a wolf, human emotions don't effect me as much, although they are still there. Sometimes, I wish I could always be an animal. Just a lone wolf running, always running, not feeling, not caring. It sounds better than this.

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><p><strong>What do you think? Tell me, just try not to be too harsh. Thanks for reading.<strong>


	2. Runaways

**For any of you that think Leah and Jacob should be in a romantic relationship, I will let you know now that this is NOT one of those stories. So if that's what you're expecting, I'd advise you go back now. Hope you're enjoying the story.**

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><p>Chapter 2<p>

I'm left staring at the ceiling after she leaves. It hurt. It hurt so damn _much_. I want to throw something. I want to do anything to distract myself from the rejection. She even admitted it! She admitted that she is in love with me, and I'm still not enough. And I'll _never _be enough. Not for her.

Everyone says that there's a person just right for you. That one day, every boy will find his beautiful princess. That one day, every girl will find her charming prince. They lied. Because the truth is, you can look out a window and see a couple. They are happy together and are in love, that much is true. But what the stories don't tell you is that not everyone can be like that. There is pain, suffering, sacrifice. And not everyone lives happily ever after.

There are people out there that never get the person they love. They are snatched out of their hands, and they have to live with the pain of knowing that they weren't enough. Those are the people that never live happily ever after.

I'm one of those people.

Maybe one day, I would find someone that would make me happy. But I know that I could never love her as much as I love Bella. Falling in love, they make it sound so easy and simple. But it's not. Falling in love with Isabella Swan- it ruined me. It tore me to pieces in the end.

If someone tells me to wish upon a star and guarantees that it would be granted, I know what it would be. I would wish for the pain to go away. This unbearable pain that tears at my core- I would wish for it to go away. Because in the end, it's better to be numb and feel nothing at all than be animated and feel the pain.

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><p>I want to phase, but Dr. Fang says that it might mess up my recovery. So I stand on the cliff with my unneeded crutches, watching Quil, Embry, Jared, and Paul dive. I would remove my sling and abandon the crutches, but all the people on the beach and road can see us. And Charlie spread the word that I had a "motorcycle accident".<p>

I stare at each dive, comparing it to the last, and decide I can bear it no more. Instead, I gaze off into the ocean, trying to clear my mind. It works for a while, until I hear a loud splash, probably Jared doing a cannonball. It snaps me out of my focus, and I return to watching them.

They do intricate jumps off the edge, and I wish I could participate. However, all I am capable of doing is standing there lamely with my ineffective crutches, brace, and sling.

Dripping wet, Embry and Quil come back up the rocks, laughing as they punch each other on the shoulder. I smile softly at them, knowing these dumb crutches wouldn't survive the trip. I wait for them at the top, hoping they'll include me, even a little bit. I feel so useless and invisible standing here, taking no part in the fun.

As Paul is about to dive again off the ledge, I watch as he bends his knees and a grin of thrill passes over his face. Before he jumps though, I hear Embry say, "Hey, Paul, wait. I know that you guys are having fun and stuff, but maybe we should take Jake down to the beach. He seems kind of bored."

I turn to look at Embry. He's smiling sympathetically at me, but I really didn't want it. I didn't need any pity because I had to pretend to be hurt. Even though it hurt then, it wasn't bad now, and they didn't need to stop the fun because of me.

"No, that's alright. I think I'm going to head home."

Turning away, I call behind my shoulder, "By the way, Paul. Don't trip!"

"Crap you, Jake," he snaps back, but I laugh as I head down the long way.

Once I get home, Dr. Fang is waiting. With a friendly smile, he follows me to my room. I suppose this lee- _Carlisle_ isn't so bad. In truth, _who_ they are aren't that bad, but _what_ they are is absolutely revolting.

I let him examine me, my mind in another world. I subconsciously take off my shirt so he can take a look at my ribs. I barely even feel it when he unwinds the bandages, but I still flinch every time his cold fingers brush my skin.

"Well, Jacob, it seems you are making great progress. I'd say you will be ready to shift any day now, possibly tonight even." Carlisle tosses out the bandages, and smiles at me.

"She thinks about you. She never stops wondering how you are."

Just the mention of her makes me clench my teeth in pain. I couldn't be angry at her for loving him. I couldn't be angry at her for choosing him. I am only angry at her for not telling me the truth, especially about the marriage.

That's the difference between me and the bloodsucker. He will always see her as a goddess, someone who is perfect. In his eyes, she can do no wrong and is flawless. That's not how it should be. To me, Bella is about as imperfect as you get. She's clumsy, stubborn, and quite fragile when it comes to her emotions. But that's the whole point. Loving someone isn't the same as adoring them. When you love someone, you notice their flaws, even acknowledge them. But if you truly love them, you will accept their imperfections and come to love them just as much as what you already like about them.

Of course, that's not what they think.

The doctor is saddened by my silence, and when I make no move to break it, he leaves. I pull on my shirt, and walk to the kitchen to make dinner. Since I have so much time on my hands, why not? My father meets me there, and he says, "Jake, there's something in the mail for you. I didn't open it."

He flings an envelope on the table and rolls himself into the living room. It was from the Cullens. I snatch it up, and I can immediately tell that Bella had nothing to do with this. The paper is stiff and fancy. It is definitely the bloodsucker. Ripping it open, I see a small, folded note. I take it, flip it open, and read it. I grab the table with a hard grip. Because on the paper are these words:

_Jacob,_

_I'm breaking the rules by sending you this. She was afraid of hurting you, and she didn't want to make you feel obligated in any way. But I know that if things had gone the other way, I would have wanted the choice. I promise to take care of her, Jacob. Thank you- for her- for everything._

_Edward_

I stare at the flawless calligraphy as if that would make them decapitate. I know that in the envelope is a wedding invitation. _Her _wedding invitation. I drop the note, and walk out the door, my hands clenched in fists. I am getting out of here. I don't know for how long, but I have to get out of here. I fly out the door and into the trees, my clothing scattered in bits behind me.

Fuck Edward. Fuck his family. Fuck anyone who ever associated with him.

Screw Bella if she's worried. Screw the pack if they try to find me. Screw it all.

I don't care anymore. I would keep running till I couldn't feel anything at all.

**Meanwhile…**

I go in through the back door of Emily's house, wondering why the alpha had ordered me to come here. The kitchen and living room are empty. I look at the clock; 7 o'clock, just like he said. I sit on the couch and wait. After a couple minutes, Emily walks out of the bedroom, followed by Sam. She gazes at me sadly, and I glare back. Sam puts his hands on her shoulders, and I can't help but flinch.

"Leah, we have something to tell you," Sam says in the calm, husky voice that I had always known. I cross my arms and wait, hoping that I can get out of here in less than five minutes. It is way too crowded in here.

After a few seconds, I say, frustrated, "Well? I have other things to do, you know."

Emily replies quietly, "The wedding date is set."

How could I have forgotten? Of course, you had to remind me.

At those words, I rise from the couch, ready to bolt out of the door and into the woods. I want to let out the cry rising in my chest, but stand my ground so I wouldn't appear weak.

"So?" I retort, trying to sound careless, although I am aching on the inside.

She gulps slowly, obviously struggling to swallow. "And… I-I'm pregnant."

I forget trying to seem strong. I forget about looking bitter and careless. I forget the slight happiness I had felt earlier. All I could see was a hazy, red glow across my vision. I began to hyperventilate, ripples going through my fingers.

"Leah…"Emily begins to move towards me, her hand outstretched.

I could see her faintly through the glaze, and I shout, "Don't touch me! Get away from me!"

Tears run down my cheeks as I tremble. And although they had pained me in every way possible, I don't want to hurt her. She is too fragile, and would break like a twig.

I run through the sliding glass door, not caring about the glass shards that cut into my skin. I have to get away. From _him_. From _her_. From _them_. I would run. I would run till I couldn't run any longer. Until I passed out.

I phase into the gray wolf that had been begging to come out, my clothes in tatters behind me. I can't believe it. What more could they hurt me with?

First, he abandons me. Then, he keeps secrets from me. And I begged him to confide in me, but he turns his back on me. I even spent that night in the rain pounding on his door, sobbing. Next, he imprints on my _cousin_, the person I trust most. Then, he pronounces his love to her. And I _shattered_. And then they start dating. After that, he proposes to her, and she accepts. And then, _God_ and then, she gets pregnant with his child.

Memories flood through my brain. One particularly stuck out.

**I cry. Every night, I cry over him. I couldn't understand. I just couldn't understand. What had I done wrong?**

**I would go to him. He had to explain it to me. He just had too. **

**I climb out of bed, wipe my eyes, and pull on a coat and a pair of boots. I drive to Sam's house, the rain pounding on my windshield. I turn on the wipers and think about what he's keeping from me. Whatever it is, he **_**would**_** tell me. I know it can be resolved.**

**I park in front of his house, and I pull up my hood before walking out into the rain. I am about to knock on the door when I see light shining out one of the windows. Sam wouldn't be up this late. I walk to the window and gasp at what's inside.**

**Sam is kissing another girl. Her face is blocked by his own, but when they shift positions, I see it. And there is no mistake. The girl was Emily Young, my cousin, my best friend, my **_**sister**_**. **

**And she isn't pushing him away. She is kissing him back just as passionately. I begin to cry as I put my back against the wall. I sink to the ground and curl my knees up to my chest. **

**No. No, it just couldn't be. Sam would never cheat on me. Even if we were at a rough spot, he would never cheat on me. And Emily; Emily would never kiss my boyfriend. She would **_**never**_**. **

**But she knew who he was. I would gush to her about him all the time, tell her how wonderful he was. She couldn't have mistaken him for someone else. **

**No matter which way I put it, the truth was clear. Sam had ditched me for my cousin, and she hadn't made a move to stop him.**

I had lost everything that night. I lost my lover. I lost my best friend. I lost my dignity. And I lost my will to live or love.

I am blinded by my pain as I run, and that is why I don't hear the thoughts of the other wolf in my head experiencing severe hurt as well.

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><p><strong>Well, what you think? If it's a bunch a crap, try not to be too harsh in your comments. Thanks for reading.<strong>


	3. The First Step

Chapter 3

It's a strange thing how the universe works.

Because when I broke off of the tree line to a river, guess who I saw swimming across. And don't say Snoop Dog. No, in the water was a russet wolf. I can't believe I had blocked him off for so long. Finally, I put down my barriers.

A great wave of pain hits me full force. I almost want to cry out from feeling his pain alone. When mine intertwines with it, I whimper. The other wolf had reached the other side by now, and he turns around at my sound. Surprise at seeing me fills his eyes, and then he whines. He had obviously let down his own barriers, and I knew the hurt I was experiencing had flooded into his mind.

He sees what Emily and Sam confessed to me and I watch, as if I were in his shoes, as Bella tears him apart all over again and he receives the leech's note and invitation.

_I'm sorry_, I say, truly meaning it. He says the same to me and motions for me to join him on the other side. I dive into the cold water, and when I resurface, I realize that I had calmed enough to phase back. My wet hair clings to my forehead and I swim across. I climb out, not currently caring that Jacob was seeing me naked. And good Lord, you won't believe what I am about to do.

I run to Jacob and throw my arms around his neck. Human arms embraced me back, and I let my tears fall onto Jacob's already drying shoulder bone. I pull him closer as if he were the only thing holding me to earth and that letting go would sentence me to everlasting drifting in a black void. I was in too much pain to notice that my breasts were pressed against Jacob's chest, and he obviously didn't acknowledge it either.

We just stand there in the folds of each others' arms until I pull away, finally realizing that I was naked. He was naked. We were both naked and we were _hugging_. Damn, this seems really wrong. I look away quickly, a blush rising to my cheeks. Jacob backs away to quickly phase, and I peer into his black eyes. They seemed to be speaking to me.

_I'm here. I know that everything is falling apart, but I'm here, and I understand what you're going through._

He actually did. In fact, he was only one step behind me. She's getting married, and if it weren't impossible for vampires to reproduce, I bet he would have to bear the news of her being pregnant quite soon. Just like I had to with Emily.

The thought of Emily having a child in her stomach, _his_ child, makes bile rise in my throat. I had always hoped that we would go to college, he would ask me to marry him, and then we would have a darling daughter. Her name would be Mitone. It means new moon. Now, I know that my fantasies were a waste of time and energy.

I don't phase so not to pain Jake with my thoughts and so I wouldn't have to feel his, but I could sense them anyways. Although I was naked right in front of him, it is definitely less awkward than both of us stripped and hugging.

Jacob lowers his head and I put my hand on his muzzle. I am surprised when he leans into my touch, but I speak to him as the tears run down my face.

"Everything is so screwed up, Jacob. You can't understand how much. It wasn't supposed to be like this. We were best friends, as close as could be, and when I looked in his bedroom that night…"

When he looks at me curiously, I realize that this memory is one of the handful I had been able to shield from the pack. But suddenly, I felt that I _had_ to tell someone. And Jacob happened to be that person.

"He had stopped speaking to me. I had tried to coax it out of him, but he kept silent, saying that he was dangerous. One night, I was crying in my bed, and I decided that he _had_ to tell me. So I got up and drove to his house. When I got there, his light was on. And when I looked inside-they were fucking making out, Jacob. They had both forgotten about me. She wasn't even trying to resist him. So I sat there sobbing in the rain for hours. It hurt so much…"

The russet wolf stares at me with soft, black eyes and I sink to the ground. As I lie on the grass, Jacob lies beside me, fitting my small form into the curve of his body. I enjoy the feeling of it. For the first time in a while, I actually believe that someone cares. His shaggy fur keeps me warm even though I don't need it. I snuggle into his fur and make a pillow out of his neck.

We lie there- a naked, human girl and a shaggy, russet wolf- both wondering how they had found comfort in the person that had always seemed like someone you couldn't trust or even find favor in. Nonetheless, we lie there, accepting each other, understanding each other, in a way that no one else would.

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><p>I had apparently fallen asleep against Jacob's fur, but when I woke up, he was gone.<p>

I knew it. I knew I shouldn't have trusted him. He's ditched me, just like Embry and Quil. But this was much worse because I had had faith in Jacob. I even trusted him with my memory. And he took that for granted. God, he's such a _bastard_.

I curl up into a ball, naked and alone, and feel the Sun on my back. Wait, Sun? I look up and see brightness. It's beautiful. Too bad I'm not happy enough to enjoy it. I put my chin on my knees and think about what I'm going to do next.

Suddenly, the soft, comforting heat on my back disappears. I look up to see a shadow standing over me.

"You didn't seriously think I left you." Jacob's voice says, his white teeth contrasting with his tan skin.

I shrug, and he smiles. "Here, I brought you some clothes."

He tosses them on the ground, and I simply stare at the jeans and tank top. I pull my knees closer to my chest to cover myself, remembering embarrassingly how Jacob had seen me bare and vulnerable yesterday.

"Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?"

He sits beside me. "I see myself when I look at you. And I know this is kind of late, but I think you should have someone there for you. When Bella ditched me, lied to me, _always _chose him over me, think you get the point, I was alone. Embry and Quil couldn't understand, and I didn't have anybody. I don't want that to be you. Even if you could've used this a while ago, just know that I'm here."

I smile slightly, and he stands. "You want to go hunting?"

I actually _hate_ hunting, but I honestly didn't mind right now. Besides, I'm starving. I nod, and Jacob walks into the forests. I tie the clothes around my ankle and phase. Trotting into the forest, I see the russet wolf waiting for me. Jacob takes down a deer, and although he offered some to me, I refused. He couldn't do everything for me. I try to follow his example and kill a deer, but it ran away. And I was just too lazy to chase after it. I try an elk, but it again escapes me.

_Shit. Damn animals._

Jacob walks up beside me, a dog-like grin on his face. Smugly, he asks, _Having trouble, Leah?_

_Shut up, dumb ass. I'll get there. _I snap back.

_C'mon; I'll show you. You don't have to try to hide it; we all know you have no hunting experience. _

He stands very still, obviously listening for an animal. I consider protesting and telling him off, but think twice about it; he's right, I've barely ever hunted. And that one time was when I had helped Jared take it down. Pathetic.

He suddenly takes off, and I follow him quickly. As he runs in front of me, I try to copy his silent footfalls, but find it hard against the floor of dead, crisp leaves. Jacob abruptly stops, and I halt as fast as I can.

He turns around. _You're too loud. That's why you can't catch anything. They hear you before you make a move. Try to be quieter._

I walk forward slowly, focusing entirely on being silent as I move.

_Good_, Jacob instructs, _now pick up the pace._

I quicken to a trot and then to a run, going in a large circle around him. He nods, and we continue on our way.

_Right here. Be very quiet. _

We take cover in a bunch of ferns and bushes. I look over the greenery to see a doe.

_Watch very closely. _

Jacob jumps out of his hiding spot and pounces on the deer, swiftly and surely. He tears its throat out just as quickly. As he digs in to the doe, he says, _There, that simple. Remember, don't make a sound. Don't take your time. And __**don't**__ let it get away._

I listen for prey as he did. My sensitive ears soon pick up on a hissing sound. Perhaps a bobcat. Following the noise, I remain silent as I run towards the creature that would soon become my next meal. I saw some type of cat in a clearing; it looked rather big to be a bobcat, but whatever. A wolf has to eat. Hiding behind some moss-covered rocks, I unexpectedly pounce on… a mountain lion? Well, shit.

I land on it, and it's a lot bigger now that I'm on it. I aim for the throat, but not before it gets a good scratch in my side. I tear into it. Blood gets all over my paws and muzzle, and it is absolutely _disgusting_. Still, I eat the raw meat, not enjoying the slimy texture.

_Leah, look out!_ Jacob's voice abruptly enters my mind, and I raise my head, but it is too late to defend myself. I could smell the vampire now over the scent of the dead meat, and I knew I was going to die.

Maybe not. Jacob had come to my rescue yet again, and was battling the vampire. His shoulder had already been ripped open to the bone, tendon and muscle shining. I run to join the fight, and help to tear it apart. As soon as it is dead, Jacob retreats to the cover of the trees. He comes out as a human, grey sweatpants covering his legs, sticks in his arms.

I gape at his shoulder. I could actually _see_ his bone. He acts like the wound isn't even there, and he drops the sticks to make a fire. As he tosses the pieces into the flames, his back turned to me, I phase, pull on my clothes, and walk to him.

"You okay?" I try not to let any concern drip into my tone, but the slightest bit got through. He nods curtly and stares into the fire, obviously deep in thought. I try to touch his wound, to see how bad it is, but he recoils.

"I'm fine." He snaps at me, walking away.

I follow him. "But if you need my help-"

"I don't want your help," he says darkly.

His response stung, and I return it with anger of my own. "Fine then. Don't take my help. I'm trying to be nice for a change, but if you'd rather me be as I was, then have it your way."

I face away from him and sit down, the heat from the fire against my side, its unearthly smell filling my nostrils.

"Son of a bitch," I mutter.

Through clenched teeth, he says, "Heard that."

"You were supposed to, dumb-ass."

"Do you really want to start this, bitch?" His voice had a tone of challenge.

"Bring it on, shit-face."

"Fine, asshole."

We went at it for at least five minutes, exchanging insulting comments with very creative curse words if I do say so myself. Finally, when it was coming to an end, Jacob breaks first. I had just made a very _nice_ affront about his pathetic attempt of pleasing her with his hair, which was just a tiny bit low, even for me, and I could hear his pained, sharp intake of breath.

"Good one. Okay, I surrender," he says dully.

I sigh frustratingly. "I'm sorry. That was rude… Oh my gosh; that is the second time I have apologized to you this week. It should be a crime against nature."

I sense his small smile, and he slowly rises to his feet, going to stare off into the woods, where you can see the view of the mountains through the patches of the trees. His anger seems to have decapitated, and for that I was glad. I mean, it was bad enough with me being all dark and bitter, but with two of us like that: pure disaster.

"What do you think is going to happen after this, Leah?" he asks me.

I reply in a bored, semi-sarcastic voice, "We go back to a world of misery and doom. Although…" The sarcasm faded from my voice. "… sometimes I wish that I could keep going, you know? Never turning back. Besides, with the leeches that infect this planet- I bet the world could use us besides in the small little towns of La Push and Forks. We aren't really doing that much besides risking our necks for… her." Wow, I am actually being considerate enough to not use her name. What is happening? "Think of how many leeches are out there, and we are over there running circles around a small little piece of land."

As I step up beside him, he looks at me, surprised. "Wow, I've never thought of it that way… So what are you suggesting?"

I roll my eyes. "Boys need everything explained. Look, I was just thinking that instead of making ourselves dizzy running circles around a few miles, why not travel around the world, city to city, state to state, country to country, getting rid of nomadic leeches? The fewer the leeches, the better. That way, we don't have to go back, we can be alone, and we can still serve a purpose. Unless, of course, we split up, which is highly likely since I highly despise you."

"Back at you."

Silence fills the air, and the solemn mood of the forest takes over all my senses. I close my eyes, and breathe it all in. The scent of pine, earth, and wood fills my nose, and for a moment I let it all go. There is only me, the forest, the river in the distance, and, for once, Jacob Black. He is right beside me, and there isn't a wall between us. We are just two lone wolfs, stuck in time, never going back, one in the same, but still so different, and somehow, someway, moving forward. Even if it's only in the tiniest step.


	4. Alone with You

Chapter 4

Call me crazy, but guess what I am doing right now. Don't say getting wasted. I've never drunken before in my life. No, I'm playing in a river with Leah Clearwater. _Leah Clearwater_. It's a strange thing to see her so carefree and… not trying to annoy the hell out of me. I always thought that there was some part of her that is still like that, but I never thought that I'd get to see it.

She's actually… not bad, despite the fact that I saved her from a vampire attack _again_. Sadly, I don't regret doing it. _Again_. Why do I not put her through hell for risking my life? Because it wasn't actually her fault. Leah didn't tell me to block the attack from her. Not in the clearing and not here. I jumped in front of her willingly, and that's what scares the shit out of me. I am supposed to hate her, to loathe her. But I don't, and if I had, I wouldn't have sacrificed myself for her _twice_, might I add. The world's a strange place. Of course, if it were normal, then there wouldn't be vampires and werewolves, would there?

"Jake, stop it!" Leah squeals as I fling water all over her face. She scoops water in her palms and whips it at me. We were kneeling beside the river, cleaning out my quickly healing wound when Leah dipped her hand in and chucked water at me. And like the immature person I am, I fought back.

I respond by pushing her into the running river. With shocked eyes, she tumbles into the water. When she rises out of the river, she has a mischievous grin on her face, and I begin to ponder what she's thinking. Suddenly, she jumps out of the water and tackles me. We flip three times, and I end up pinning her to the grass. Looking down at her, I remind myself that this looks really inappropriate. I immediately get off and turn my back to her.

Through the embarrassment, I feel guilt. Like I had done something wrong. I know I hadn't, but lying on top of Leah, it feels like I had been betraying somebody. But I hadn't been; I'm not in a relationship with Bella, and Leah isn't with Sam. We hadn't committed a crime of any sort, but then why did I feel so unfaithful?

Besides that, it was just plain awkward. Now that I picture it in my head, it seems weird, uncomfortable, and totally _wrong_. It didn't feel like it, though, recalling the moment. In fact, it feels okay, almost nice really. Now don't say that I'm falling for Leah. I will assure you now: I'm not. It's just, it doesn't feel like a bad thing to be playing around and end up in that position. I hadn't felt uncomfortable, actually, it was just my self-conscious that said: _You should be ashamed. Lying on top of a girl that you're not even dating- tsk, tsk. _

I look over my shoulder to see Leah sitting up, shaking the water out of her hair like a dog. Or a wolf. She glances up, the playfulness gone, and asks, "What are you looking at?"

Holding my palms up in fake surrender, I turn back around. When she steps beside me, she asks, "So where are we going first?"

I honestly have no idea. I don't know where we are or where we're going. Suddenly, I hear a car. Hmm, must be near a road. I say, "We should find the road, see if there are any signs of where we are or nearby towns."

Going behind separate trees to phase, we follow our ears to the sound of cars and trucks zooming past on the road. Jumping the river, we continue, running side by side. Unconsciously, we had been racing to the road. With a mental, show-offish scoff, Leah pulls ahead of me. Following close behind, I push my legs faster, although we are already traveling faster than any human or animal, maybe even vampires. When Leah suddenly trips over a log, I leap it gracefully and race in the lead, her complaints voicing themselves loudly in my head. Reaching the tree line, I smile in pure victory. Leah arrives only moments later, saying that it didn't count.

_Ah, too bad, my friend. You know I won._

We peak through the minimal trees, seeing the green sign at the edge of the highway. It read: _Spokane 200 miles. _I guess that's a good place to start.

We run along the road to Spokane, side by side, not as fast as we could but not slugging either- we are faster than cars. Silently, we traveled. Approaching the city, we aren't sure where to go first and decide on the woods on the eastern side outside of Seattle. Running about 30 yards apart, we went through the forest, searching for vampires or signs of their attacks. Suddenly, a revolting, sickly sweet smell hits my nose as I catch the trail of a vampire. With Leah following, I track the scent to a remote cottage, reeking of leeches. This is our chance. Hiding in the foliage, we lie in wait of the vampires that we were sure would return, not daring to venture in the house in case they suddenly appeared. Finally, three leeches, white as snow, unnaturally beautiful, came out of the woods. One, with dark-brown hair in a pixie cut, raises its head, sniffing.

"What is that God-awful smell? It's like a wet dog…" She says disgustedly. "There aren't any dogs out here, right? I thought we are far from the city, but what if some dog followed us back? Or what if its owner is nearby? Man, that's smell is terrible. Or what if it's dangerous-"

_Well, you smell a ton worst. Trust me_, Leah thinks. I snort.

One of the other vampires chuckle. "Stop being paranoid, Elena. It's just some animal," he says with an unconcerned smile.

The other, with a mock-scared voice, put her hands up in fear. "Oooh, maybe it got Tyler. Yes, it attacked him and tore him apart on his trip back from Port Angeles. C'mon, Elena. It's probably just a rotting, dead animal. Besides, Tyler is only one day late."

Flipping her blonde hair over her shoulder nonchalantly, she says, "Nothing can hurt us, Elena. Except for ones of our own kind."

_How wrong you are_, I think.

**(A.N. We all know who Tyler is, right? If you don't, I'll give you a hint. Remember how Leah got attacked by a vampire? Alright, then; moving on.)**

The vampires-two females and a male- continue on inside the house. While Leah and I try to plan our attack, one came out, the lone male. Big mistake. He ran into the woods, unaware of the two wolves running parallel to him, silent as the night. Leah cut across behind him without a sound, and, by my signal, we attack when he reaches a clearing. Jumping out the bushes and trees that served as our hiding barriers, we pounce on the unsuspecting vampire. We tear him apart quickly, our teeth ripping away at his stony flesh. As Leah starts the fire, I look around for missed pieces. I see an arm, stopping just above the elbow, dragging itself across the clearing. _Okay, that's just weird_, I think as I collect it in my mouth and drop it into the fire with the rest. Suddenly, I hear voices- those of the other two vampires. Great. Leah and I retreat to the cover of the trees on opposite sides, and seconds later, the two female leeches rush into the clearing, seeing their comrade burning in the putrid fire. With a gasp, the one with the pixie hair steps closer, whispering, "Who could've done this? Is there another vampire around?"

The other answered, "There must be; no one else could have done this."

Leah says, _Guess again_. Building a plan in our minds, we stay hidden in the greenery.

"Let's get out of here," she says, backing away and breaking into a run, the other following. We run beside them, both unsuspecting that we were the mysterious vampire killer or that we were nearby.

At my command, we attack them the same way we did the male, but something went wrong. First, the pixie vampire heard Leah before she attacked, which gave her time to turn and face her opponent. I suppose everything can seem in slow motion some times in your life because I saw this while I was still in the air, in the process of pouncing on my unaware target. Second, Leah is at a disadvantage. The pixie leech had the time to put her hand up, and it made all the difference in the world. It is how she yields her "special gift". Before they even touch, the vampire has hurled Leah into a tree, rendering her unconscious. Now, back to me where I am landing on the leech. Tearing off her entire arm in one swift move, she screeches. With the slight moment in her shock, I whip to see the other attacking me from the side. Before she can use her gift to annihilate me, I use my size to make the first move: going above her and completely ripping off her head. Of course, in that time, the other was practically on my back, clawing at me with her sharp nails, crushing my bones with her one arm. She bites into the back of my shoulder blade. With a howl of pain, I fling her off where she slams into a tree. I finish her part by part, her screams echoing throughout the forest. I did not let myself feel the pain, my anger fueling me. I was so angry- at the Cullens for being so hard to hate, at Bella for torturing me so, at the pixie vampire for hurting Leah. And I took it out on the vampire in front of me.

As the last piece of white stone falls from my mouth, the pain finally makes its presence known. The cracked bones induce a pain of their own, extravagant, but even worse is the venom. The icy serpent slithers through my body, spreading agony and suffering everywhere. It goes in all different directions, making every part of me miserable, mocking my victory over the two vampires, making a joke of Leah's state.

I stumble painfully towards the unconscious silver wolf, and, ready to bend down and try to nuzzle her awake, I collapse. Hitting the ground on my side without broken bones, facing the wolf beside me, I fight against my eyes that are begging to close. I know I shouldn't let myself go into the darkness; Leah may need me. I should stand up, awaken her, make sure she's okay. But I just couldn't…

_For a moment_, I say to myself. _I'll close my eyes for only a moment._

So I let my eyes close, and as I had known the entire time, the second I did: the blackness overtook me. I gave in to it easily, hoping I could stay like this, where there was no pain and suffering- just the darkness.


	5. Scars

**PLEASE READ! In case you didn't catch my earlier note, then I want you to read this RIGHT NOW. Jacob and Leah are NOT and will NOT be in a romantic relationship. Just so we are clear on that. Now continue on. I hope you like this chapter!**

Chapter 5

I awake slowly, trying to remember how I had ended up lying on the forest ground anyways. Had I fallen asleep here? And where is Jake? I open my eyes which I had been keeping closed and see the russet wolf lying in front of me. In fact, he is only a couple inches from my face. I jerk away. Is he asleep?

As I pull on my clothes, suddenly, I remember. We had been attacking those two vampires, and the leech rose its hand. I felt myself being hurled in the air before my world went black. And Jake, he was responsible for the other one. He must of… Uh oh. There's no way he came out of that okay.

Kneeling down next to him, a wave of panic hits me. Is he even breathing? Jerking my hand under his nose, I feel light bursts of air hitting my finger as he exhales. Thank God. Urgently whispering in his ear to phase back, I turn to see stony white parts all over the ground and an entire body missing the head. Hurriedly starting a fire, I drop all the parts in along with the head. Then I lug the body next to the flames. Stopping short, I strip the clothes off and then dump the headless corpse in. I hasten back to the russet wolf to see that he is human again- and naked! I whip back around and snatch up the leech's jacket, covering his genital area with it with my face turned away. I promise you this: I will never, ever get used to the whole naked thing.

Now that he is human, it is easier to examine him. And, doctor or not, I know that his arm is not supposed to be twisted in that position. Biting my lip, praying that this won't hurt too much, I put it in the right position as he moans. With a quick jerk of my hand, I pop his shoulder back in place. Jacob winces in his unconscious state, and I bite my bottom lip harder, beginning to taste blood. Of course, it is healed a second later. I look around his body and almost instantaneously see the silver crescent on his shoulder blade. It is past bleeding obviously, but there is no way I'm getting the venom out. Still, I think the newborn bit him in the battle so one bite can't kill him. There is no doubt that it hurts like hell though. I'm scared to move him, but I need to see if there is anything on the other side.

So I flip him on his back carefully and, balling up the leech's reeking jacket, put it under his head. _Well_, I think_, good thing I rolled him over_. On the side that was pressed against the ground were three long, deep gashes. They were undoubtedly from the claw-like nails of the vampire. It should've been almost completely healed by now, but I could see why it wasn't. Dirt had been rubbed into the wounds, infecting it, not allowing the skin to close. And torn skin was hanging off the edges of the gashes. As I stare at the bright red claw marks, I feel it coming back to me…

_**Oh my God**_**! is all I can think when I see the still-red scars on my cousin's face as I turn the corner of the grocery aisle to find Emily behind it, standing surprised behind her cart. Almost dropping my basket, I stumble back.**

"**Wh-what happened?" I ask softly, forgetting that I hated her. **

**She replies, "I was attacked by a bear… I'm so happy to see you, Leah. I thought that you didn't want to talk to me."**

**I am then reminded of why I didn't want to. Sam. She took him away. They snuck around behind my back. They hurt me; they broke me. And I hate him for the lies, secrets, and pain he inflicted on my heart. I hate her for the betrayal. What she did to me: that is the deepest kind of betrayal there is- because I **_**trusted**_** her. And she stabbed me in the back. I couldn't forgive her for it. **_**Never**_**.**

"**I don't," I snap, my anger firing up again, and turn away, forgetting about the pasta that I was supposed to get. I just need to get away from her: that- that traitor, that **_**bitch**_**. Sam was all I had, and she took him away. More like he went and practically fell in love with her. But she could've done something. She could've stopped him, told him to get lost. She could have remembered **_**me, **_**her cousin, her best friend, her **_**sister**_**. Yet, she held her arms wide open, allowing him to love her, allowing herself to love him. And she knew how much he meant to me, how much I truly love him.**

**But that wasn't even where it started. First it was the lies. All the secrets, and even now, they taunt me. Emily holds those secrets, I know she does. All the things that he would never tell me is in her hands. He couldn't trust me with them, after years of being together, and yet he placed them in her hand when they barely knew each other. The secrets fly annoyingly around my head, buzzing in my ear about how Emily is worthy of his most precious secrets and I wasn't. **

**I check out and hurry out the market, glancing back at the girl standing exactly where she was before. Her face openly expresses sorrow, a tear running down her cheek. I don't let it bother me, though. She has no right to cry. None! She isn't the one who was betrayed, who was stabbed in the back. The person she loved wasn't taken away right from under her nose. She didn't spend night after night sobbing, praying for the day when she would wake up from this nightmare. She didn't sit in the rain, crying her heart out, while her lover and best friend kissed in warmth and passion. And she didn't stand at his doorstep for hours so he could come home and tell her that he loved her despite all the secrets. I did! She has no right to cry when she lives in a fairytale!**

**And I live in the opposite.**

I rip the leech's shirt into patches, and call me dumb for this but I couldn't think of anything else; I spit onto one before dabbing at the gashes with it, cleaning out the dirt. With rising frustration, I dab and swipe harder, but still gently. I see them start to close up already, from gashes to scars. I sigh in relief, glad I finally got that done, and stand up.

"Wake up, Jake," I demand as I stand over him. There is no anger in my voice. In fact, I should start making a list of how many times this boy has saved me. Let's see… 1) the newborn battle 2) in the woods when we were hunting 3) just moments ago. I owe him big time.

Turning my head, I see the fire breaking down the stony flesh to ashes. That was 3 less vampires in the world, 15 to 20 less people killed in the next week, and 1 less city infested by killers. In a way, Jacob is a hero. He saved people in Spokane from being obliterated while I was immediately cast to the side. Envy fills me as I stare at the unconscious boy in front of me. In the first second of our attack, I was thrown against that dumb tree (well, now it's just a stump) and of no use at all. Jacob on the other hand went against 2 leeches and came out barely scarred. I know I shouldn't be jealous, but it's so hard not to feel inferior to him. He takes those things out like he's not only a werewolf, but a trained alpha.

I remind myself that this isn't in any way a competition; all that matters is that we get rid of the leeches, but Jacob seems like he was made to kill. And it scares me how that little, 12 year-old boy who was ducked under the hood of my mother's car, his hands covered in grease as he smiled during his work, is also an immortal (sort of), vicious killing machine.

A couple minutes later, he blinks. "Leah?" he says groggily as his eyes begin to shut again. I kneel down and shake his shoulder.

"Okay, stay with me, Jacob. Stay with me."

His eyes open again, and I look into those black orbs. I blink and I see _his_ face. Each cheekbone is highly defined, but his eyes… they're so beautiful. Both globes hold so many nights of endless stars. "_Sam_," I whisper as I begin to lean in. Sam's eyes widen and he starts to push me away, but I keep going forward, determined to meet his lips with mine. It's all I want: to feel him with me again, to feel him love me again.

"Leah, stop. It's Jake. I'm Jake!"

_Jake…_ Does that name ring a bell? Wait, of course it does! I stop leaning in and immediately pull myself back. How humiliating! How stupid am I? I put my hands over my face, unable to even look at Jacob. I feel him move away. Now I've really freaked him out, and he's the closet thing to a friend I have!

I finally look through the gaps in my fingers to see Jake leaning against a tree, sweatpants covering his legs. As his hand grips the wood for support, I can tell that he is weak.

"Leah… there's nothing to be ashamed of. I think about her too. I know what you're going through."

Embarrassment melting away and anger replacing it, I say, "No, you don't know. You don't know what it's like to wake up every day and know that you can never be happy. To see the person you love give his heart to someone else, someone you thought you could trust. You have no fucking idea, Jacob!"

**Like it? Hate it? In the middle? Let me know!**


	6. Hear my Cry

**Sorry it took so long, but here it is! Leah and Jacob continue their journey into the unknown... Yeah that is so lame, dude. **

Chapter 6

I run into the woods surrounding the clearing, tears stinging my eyes. _I loved him! Do you hear me, Emily? I loved him! _I skid to a stop in front of a massive tree and let the tears fall. Sobs racking my body, I slam my fist on the bark, and then the other. With my forehead resting on the tree, I beat it with both my fists over and over as tears flood my face.

"I love him…" I whisper as I sink to my knees, my hands still balled on the bark. Suddenly, a smell hits my nose. It is sickly sweet, and the trail is about a week old. I shift, and Jacob's voice immediately enters my mind.

_Do you smell that? _His voice is coming from ahead of me, farther along the trail.

I reply, _Hard to miss. Are you strong enough?_

I can hear the grin in his voice. _Of course._

A part of me questions if he was telling the truth, but whatever. If he says he's ready then I guess he's ready. But am I ready? … Yeah. Maybe this will help take my mind of things. I take off in a run and see a russet wolf come into view. Jacob joins me, both of us at a fast pace as we follow our noses. The trail must be leading to the next town.

_Let's get this show on the road._

* * *

><p>There's only so much I can say about what happens next. We attack, we fight, we kill. Simple. And nobody got hurt, except for the two leeches of course. When we phased back, Jake's scars were gone, erasing my trigger to a flashback. Jacob and I have been hearing Embry and Quil in our head, saying how they missed him, asking when he is coming home. Of course, they don't give a damn about me. He never answers their question, but he asks how everything is going. Everything is well; no leeches around. They also tell him that Emily told the rest of the pack yesterday, and I have no choice but to hear. Jacob offers sympathy after their voices disappear.<p>

_Could I call Jacob a friend? _I ask myself after another battle as Jacob sits in the tree doing his "thinking". I lie under it in my wolf form, thinking as well while I keep guard for danger. _Could I? _I honestly don't know. But he's seen more of me than I've shown anyone since Sam and Emily's betrayal. And he's been there for me even though we hate each other sometimes. And he has always had my back in a fight, and I never ask for it. That definitely sounds deserving of something beyond the label "acquaintance".

_Maybe a friend. Just maybe_, I think as I stare up at Jacob staring up at the moon.

* * *

><p><em>You have got to be shitting me, <em>I say as we burst into a clearing filled with more than a couple leeches. I mean, I had kind of been expecting it after we hit the scent, but… Jacob crouches down with a low, threatening growl as he dares them to try and touch us. I look around at each pale face. The five Cullen kids are present. They formed a half-circle around us. I hear Jacob tell the bloodsucker, _Well look who's here. _

The mind-reader replies, "The invitation is still open, Jacob. The wedding is tomorrow. I came to ask you one last time."

Jake's muscles tighten as pain fills him, and I walk forward to where I am towering over the mind-reader. He looks up slowly to meet my terrorizing gaze and I snarl. _Who do you think you are? _I demand, my fangs clenched with fury. _Who the __**hell**__ do you think you are asking that of him?_

_Back off, Leah. _I am surprised when I hear Jacob's sullen voice. But I just couldn't stop. I retort, _This bloodsucker needs to know that he can't just say "Yay! Werewolves and leeches get along now and we are all gonna go to a big fluffy wedding!"_ _He can't just show up and ask you to do this! _

The leech steps in. "I am not trying to put Jacob in any pain, Leah. But Bella wants him there, and she wants to say goodbye."

_She basically said goodbye the moment she decided to become a filthy, rotten leech like you! _

Softly, in a quiet voice, Jacob says, _That's enough, Leah. Please. Let's just go. _

With slow steps, he drags his paws across the ground as he steps between the mind-reader- Edward, right?- and the tiny pixie one. I begin to follow until Edward calls out, "This is your last chance to ever see her again! Do you really want to give that up?"

We both look back, and Jacob returns to stand in front of him. In an angry voice, he says, _If Bella really wanted me there, she would have asked me herself. I know, she didn't want to hurt me. But that doesn't mean you have to ask for her. So go to hell._

"Already have," the mind-reader says, unfazed. "Do you really think I would go to such measures to find you and bring you back if I hadn't known she would be disappointed when you weren't there? Do you really want to end it like this? Think about it. C'mon, guys. Let's go; we're done here."

He turns away from me and fades away into the woods, the four others following. I could only stand there, glaring at the place they disappeared while Jacob stares distractedly at the clouds. I notice as his breath quickens, his chest rising and falling in uneven segments. Suddenly, he throws his head back and lets out a long, ear-splitting howl. Pain, sadness, and anger are evident in his cry; I have heard few things that sound so completely pathetic. The howl slowly comes to a stop, and Jacob turns his head tentatively to face me.

_Well that's a bit embarrassing, _he states bluntly.

After a few awkward moments, I say, _Ready to go?_

Jacob shakes his head, and I wait, both of our minds blank. A couple minutes later, I try again. _How about now? _I begin to get frustrated as his head moves back and forth, declining my question. I sigh inwardly, my butt plopping on the ground as I wait for even longer. Fifteen seconds later, Jacob whispers, _I'm going to the wedding_.

_What?_ I hop to my feet as I hear this shocking news. When the hell did he decide this? When the hell did he decide its okay to attend a leech's wedding, watching helplessly from the sidelines as his soul mate marries someone else? How is that even possibly in the same neighborhood as "sane"? What is wrong with this boy?

_I love her, Leah. And that's why I need to be there for her, just one last time. _

I still couldn't even imagine it. _But she hurt you! She kept secrets from you! She has done nothing to receive __**anything **__from you, especially your presence at her God-awful wedding to that God-awful bloodsucker! _

Jacob sighs, and replies, _I knew you wouldn't understand. But I'm going. You don't have to come with me. I know how hard it is to go back, but she needs me…_

_She doesn't need you at all! She has them! She has her little bloodsucking family right by her side! She never needed you from the start! She's just too stupid to see how selfish she's being! And why should she even want anything from you when she let you go! Why should she try to tear you apart even more by wanting you at her dumb wedding!_

Jacob whispers, _Don't talk about her like that…_

_Well, every word is true! You just won't admit that Bella Swan is and never was deserving of your love- or your pain! She's not worthy of-_

_Stop it! I love her, Leah, no matter how much she hurt me! And she is worthy of my love; and I just wish I was enough for her. So fine! I'll go on my own; I never asked you to come with me. Goodbye, Leah._

He took off in the same direction as the Cullens, leaving me in the clearing alone, seething. I can't believe it. After everything they've done to him- _she's_ done to him- he still… He's just setting himself up for more heartbreak. I know it, and I think he knows it too. What an idiot. Would he do that much to make her happy? Hurting himself over and over to try and please her? Moron. But… I guess this means that he really does love her. He truly loves that Bella Swan, that sickly pale vampire girl that never saw how much he's worth.

I trot away in the opposite direction, clearing any thoughts of Jacob from my mind. I will not give in and apologize to him. Bella earned every single one of those harsh accusations. He just refuses to believe it. And I refuse to give in to this nagging voice telling me to turn around and join Jake on his journey back to Forks. After all, I almost thought we were friends last night. Is that still true? If I were his friend… I probably wouldn't be walking away from him right now, when he desperately needs a friend. I guess we aren't as close as I thought. That's too bad. Well, nothing to do about it now. I've always been alone anyways; I had always known this thing with Jacob wasn't permanent.

**Go get some popcorn, guys! _This_ is getting interesting! Thank you for reading and please review!**


	7. Not a Fairytale

Chapter 7

Fine, let Leah be a stubborn jack-ass. What do I care? Besides, I might just patch things up with her- but after the wedding. After we both have some time to cool down. After I see Bella again…

_C'mon, Jacob. This is not a big deal. You are just gonna go in, say congrats, and get the hell out. _

For I-don't-know-how-many hours, I run. (I guess we hadn't realized how far we'd gone) As each paw hits the ground, I am a step closer to Bella and the wedding. I begin to ponder how this decision makes any sense. In fact, it makes less than none. I guess, for the first time in my life, I am going to try and be noble. You know, if there weren't vampires and werewolves…

Edward is the Prince Charming. He's got it all: the castle, the royal family, the charm, the good looks. But more than that, he's got the heart of the sweetest, loveliest, most special girl in the entire kingdom. She is of middle class, but this means nothing to her. She is unique in every way, which is why he fell for her. And, with his undeniable charm, she soon gave him her heart as well. In the background, while Prince Edward and Lady Bella express their deep love for each other, a stable boy labors in the barn and pastures. He watches as their romance goes deeper and deeper. The stable boy loves this girl too, more than he should. But he is not enough for her. Never enough for her. Prince Edward and Lady Bella are engaged, much to the stable boy's dismay…

_Okay, I am totally getting carried away, _I think as I slow to drink from a stream. _This is definately not a fairy-tale, and I am definately not the one who gets the happy ending. _Based on how the forest has been slightly changing, I know I am not far away from Forks and La Push. It's funny, actually. As I raced out my front door, I had definitely not expected to be back- not so soon anyway. I wonder if any others in the pack are going to the wedding. They will probably be surprised to see me there since none of them are in my head right now, not even Leah, unless her mind is blank right now.

My house is empty when I stop there to get some clothes; my father must be gone for the wedding. After a much-needed shower, I pull on a dress shirt along with some slacks. Good enough.

I can hear the piano music as my Rabbit rolls over the driveway to the Cullens. (**A.N. I do not know the details of where the wedding is so I am just putting it at the Cullens')** I am really starting to wonder what I was thinking when I decided this is a good idea. When I finally pull up to the house, many other cars are there. Surely Bella would never have a wedding too large- Multiple flower scents hit me as I climb out. Okay, Bella definitely did not plan this. Almost all of the chairs are full as I walk silently through the door and lean against the wall in the back corner, the shadows concealing me. I search the crowd in front of me and see Billy, Sue, and Seth in the second row of cloth-covered chairs. I'm not angry that they chose to attend; Bella was their friend too. Do they know I'm here? Edward, already at his place in front of the alter, looks at me as a small smile comes to his lips.

"I knew you'd come," he whispers that no human ear could pick up, even if they were standing right next to him. I lift an eyebrow. _Well here I am. Does she know I'm here then? _He shook his head slightly, and then the wedding march begins to play. The little pixie leech- _Alice_- gracefully strides down the aisle, a mini bouquet clutched in her hands. Then, the bride enters. With her arm locked in Charlie's and her hair a beautiful pile on top of her head, Bella is the perfect bride. I can see from here the intricate details in her dress and the complex braiding of her hair. A smile lights up her face as her eyes rest on her husband-to-be. She walks straight past me without suspecting my presence. Good.

As the preacher speaks, I feel my resolve start to slip away from me. What the hell was I thinking coming here? I'm just setting myself up for more pain. Bella wants me here though, at least I hope she does… But my hands are trembling and I can see claws starting to poke out before I force them back in.

"-speak now," the preacher is saying. God, I want to shout that she's making a mistake- that I am the one she belongs with. _It would be easy as breathing… _But she doesn't love me enough… I'm not enough… never enough…

"-or forever hold your peace," he finishes, and I almost run from the scene. After the "I do's", everyone dispatches for the reception. I am out the door before anyone can get up, trying to keep my breaths even, but they come out ragged and short. My vision is slightly blurry, which is why I don't see the figure waiting for me at the bottom of the porch steps. I collaspe into Leah's arms, and we sink to our knees, still in our embrace. The setting sun shines barely above the trees, warming our bodies.

"I knew you couldn't do this alone," Leah whispers in my ear. As I pull away, I see her looking brightly at me.

"Why did you come back?"

Leah shrugs. "You needed me so here I am." With a smile, I get up and pull her to her feet. She says, "I'm gonna be inside trying out some of that champagne. Come get me if you want to leave. You gonna be okay?"

I nod, and she goes in the door, her white sundress drifting slightly in the small breeze. I cut around the porch to the back of the house and wait in the shadows. I think to the blood-Edward, _Can I see her out here? Tell her it's a last gift._

On the inside, above the sound of all the various voices, I hear steps coming towards the back door. This is it. The door opens, and light shines, but Bella still can't see me.

"Thank you for coming," Edward says before stepping back inside.

I force on a smile and say, "I knew I was forgetting something. I never got you a wedding gift. I suppose you will have to make due with just me.

"Jacob? Jacob!" She runs into my arms.

"Hey, Bella." I say into her ear. I pull back. "You look beautiful."

She smiles as she wipes away a tear. "You don't look half bad yourself." Her expression goes solemn. "I'm sorry if you thought that you had to come."

"You want me here, right?" I ask just to push her. Okay, I admit, it's a bit mean, but I need to know I didn't run all those miles to know that she wouldn't think of me at all. That she wouldn't care if I came either way. I need to know that some part of her still needs me.

"Of course!" She cries. "I just didn't want you to feel obligated."

The song changes, and I ask for a single dance. She takes my hand as our feet move side to side in tiny circles, and I whisper, "I've been thinking. What is your plan after this?"

"After they change me," she says as I flinch, "we're going somewhere far away. Where Charlie and Renee can't visit me. Like Alaska or New Jersey. Somewhere cold and rainy all the time- like here. What are your plans, Jacob?"

"I don't know really. I'm leaving after this, Bella. Going back with Leah."

"Leah? Where are you going with Leah?" I can hear the edge in her voice.

With my senses, I can hear Leah inside, talking with her mother and brother. Good for her. I answer Bella, "I don't know where we're going. Leah's still really hurt. I don't A suppose you heard about Emily being pregnant?"

Bella gasped. "Poor Leah."

"I know. Anyways, we're just out there doing… what we do. You know. And I'm staying like this, Bella. A werewolf. There are too few out there for the number of leeches- you know, bad leeches. At least until I find… somebody, but I'm…"

She looks up. "You're what, Jacob?"

"I'm still in love with you. I know that it was Edward, and it's always going to be Edward, but… I love you. And I want to make sure you know that."

She nods as a tear runs down her cheek. I whisper, "Don't cry, Bells. I'm sorry, but I don't know what to do anymore."

She sniffs. "I know you love me. I'm sorry I keep hurting you. I want to make it stop, but I don't know how."

I look away at the window, seeing Edward glancing at us. I narrow my eyes and he moves away. _I'm sorry I keep hurting you_. Her words echo in my mind. _I want to make it stop, but I don't know how. Well, I know how. By cutting it off right now before either of us can get hurt anymore. _A part of me knows it's too late, though. I will always hurt over Bella. I will never forget the pure agony I felt outside that tent, or the blistering fire that went through my body when she left me to go to Italy, or the searing pain that cut through my back when I received the invitation.

"The song's over. I guess this my cue to leave." I pause before saying, "Goodbye." This time I actually mean it; it's over. Completely over. I can feel the pain coming back as terrible as ever as I turn away, but I feel her hand catch on mine.

"Jake, wait. I-"

I hadn't bothered to turn around, and I say, "Stop messing with my head, Bella. I can't play this game anymore. This is goodbye, for good. I'm sorry- you know I wish it didn't have to be like this."

I slip my hand out of hers and walk away. I think to myself, _Bye, Bells. Take care of yourself. _If she comes to me as a vampire, or if I run into her, what will I do? I'm obligated to kill any vampire besides a Cullen, but the treaty is sent to hell now. The moment he bites her, it's broken, and I will have to hate her. Forever.

The darkness encloses me, and I lean against the tree, trying to decide if I should go see my father. _Go on, Jake. You owe it to the old man._

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><p><strong>Is anyone tearing up yet? Well, not me since I'm not a cryer, but anyone else. Don't be ashamed; it will be our secret, lol. Please review and tell me what you think.<strong>


	8. Regrets

**The next chapter has arrived!**

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><p>Chapter 8<p>

Bella stares with tears on her cheeks as Jacob walks away. She had never felt such guilt and pain, and she had never seen someone suffering so much- because of her. Jacob didn't deserve this, and Edward didn't deserve to have someone like her crying over a guy that she let go. She had let Jacob go, had passed him by. If someone could ask her if she had a regret in life, it would be that she had brushed off someone so great and worthy of someone loving him. She would always regret making him agonize over her. She hates herself for it now, and she would probably hate herself for it then.

Even when Edward was gone, Jacob was there. He picked up her pieces and she crushed him in return when she left for Italy. She had abandoned the one person that would never turn on her, someone who wouldn't leave her like Edward did, and she betrayed his trust.

When she could get away from Edward's protectiveness, he was always happy to see her. He had never shouted at her, or told her what a complete bitch she was for hurting him. His arms were open wide, and even when she didn't want to, she left their warmth for something she liked better. She remembers being angry at Edward when he practically _forbid _her from going to reservation; he messed with her freaking truck! _He was just trying to protect me_, Bella repeats to herself.

Edward was first, but Bella always wondered what her life would have been like if she had fallen in love with Jacob first. Would she have been so mystified by Edward if she knew she loved someone else? Would she ever have to feel that Edward, being a vampire, was so superior to her? Bella had been scared of the werewolf she had seen in Jacob, but she was never scared of Edward. He was so graceful and beautiful, so much better than any human. Jacob had his own gracefulness and beauty, but he was a wolf- a giant wolf that had a lot of anger and destructiveness inside. When she saw him in wolf form, she remembered being afraid until realizing it was the same Jacob. That huge russet wolf was still her best friend. The friend that she had betrayed.

Jacob's agonized cry echoes in her mind when she recalls that morning in the tent. When Edward told Jacob through our list of favorite nights that I had agreed to marry him. She remembers hearing the wolf howl in pure agony as he ran away from her. Edward had asked her if she was angry at him, and she had said no. But it was a lie. A huge lie! She had been angry at him, even more so than when he didn't let her go to La Push. Granted, she hated herself more, but she had been mad at Edward too. He took away her choice not to tell Jacob so soon, took away her right to tell Jacob herself as a best friend should be able to do.

She remembers seeing Jacob lying on the bed- conscious and unconscious. Even then, even in his worse physical pain, she was hurting him. Jacob had tried so hard to win her heart, and on that bed, you saw him suffering as he tried to let her go. As she let him go for Edward, whom she loved more. _Easy as breathing_, Jacob's words repeat in her mind. And it would have been. _I can't fight with an eclipse_. That's what he had said to her, but in the deepest parts of her mind, she wanted him to. She was so selfish; she wanted Jacob to start fighting so he could stay in her life. She needs Edward, but remembering how absolutely empty she was without Jake made her wonder if some part of her needs him too. Why is life so cruel? Why won't lightening strike her down so she could stop hurting people?

Bella can only imagine what Jacob felt when Edward sent him that damn invitation. She was angry at him for that too, but she definitely couldn't hate him. In one of the books she read, she remembers a quote: "Love. It's so close to hate, it's almost indistinguishable. But his is how it was for them. Love and hate. Life and death. Joy and anguish." Sometimes, that's how she felt with Jacob. She hated him for making her so unsure of her emotions, being the only thing that could stray her from Edward. Life and death: Choosing Jacob would mean life, human life, but Edward will bring immortality and death to those who know her. The joy she feels when she's with Jacob turns to anguish when she realizes how much she was hurting him.

And only now, she hurt him once more when she grabbed his hand, trying to hold on to him one last time. Bella knows how selfish she was for that. Even Jacob told her to stop messing with his feelings, and in no way could she blame him. That was inexcusable, trying to stop him from leaving when she kept telling herself she wanted him to go before she could hurt him any more. Why does Jacob have this effect on her? With Edward, everything is right. It's a smooth line with him, no hills or ridges or entrenches. With Jacob, she's going on a rollercoaster, trying to keep her own emotions in check while she inflicts anger, pain, and misery on him. She goes up mountains like the time she was kissing him on the battle day, but then she fell into a ditch when she got back to the tent with Edward. That must of hurt Jacob too: that she went right back to Edward. Why did God punish him so? Is it a way of torturing her because his pain is her pain? She only hurts more if Jacob is in pain too. Bella supposes that is God's strategy: Hurt Jacob to hurt her worse than she could hurt on her own. Clever.

Bella supposes that besides the tears, smeared make-up, and sobs, the only meaningful thing she got out of all this is that Edward isn't perfect, although he could be damn close. That night in the tent, if it hadn't been a dream, she remembers Jacob asking at what point did Edward decide to play the patient good guy. Only until later did she wonder why Edward actually had a answering response. He should have said that it wasn't an act, that he was actually that selfless. That's what she had always thought. Does this mean…? Edward was just acting like the patient good guy? This glorious image she has of him- is some part of it fake, an act he's put on? Bella refuses to believe it.

Cold arms wrap around her from behind and Edward whispers, "It'll be okay, love."

"I don't want to lose him, Edward. I don't want to hurt him anymore."

Edward murmurs, "Then don't. Let him go, Bella. You have to let him go. It's the only way. I could hear his thoughts, love. I could feel his pain. He's in misery because you keep trying to contain him. Free him from his suffering by letting him go." The last part he says slowly, and she knows he's afraid of her reaction, but she also knows he's right.

She has to let Jacob go if she ever wants him to thrive. Why does this have to be so hard? He loves her more than she deserves, and she loves him enough to try to get him to stay. Why does Jacob do this to her? Suddenly, she's angry with him like the characters in that book. He says she's messing with his head (which it true, point taken) but does he realize how much he fools with her own when he gets all "let me go, Bella" on her? Why does he have to be so amazing? That alone messes with her head. Why can't he be some terrible, mean guy that she wouldn't have trouble letting go of? Why should she have to be between the best guys in the entire universe that deserve so much better than her? Why, why, why?

_I'm married now, _Bella thinks. _Edward is my other soul mate, and I chose him long ago. He is all I could ever need. And I have forever to be with him. This is it. Goodbye, my sun. I will always love you._

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><p><strong>Yep, a little different, but I thought I should cover Bella's thoughts as Jacob is walking away from her. Review!<strong>


	9. Forgiveness

**This is the next chapter. Please enjoy. **

Chapter 9

"I'm so sorry, honey." My mother rubs circles on my back while her arms wraps tighter around me. I stand still, trying to contain my tears. I want to confess how hurt I was, how much I missed her and Seth. She goes on, "Try to think of this: happiness is not achieved through love. Don't forget: you still have me, and Seth, and… Jacob."

I stiffen at that, especially the last name. My brother was popping grapes into his mouth until he says, "Jake!"

I pull out of my mom's embrace to turn and see Jacob walking towards us. Even now, I can see how broken he was. I will always hate that Bella Swan. She crushed his heart in the worst way. I hate her almost as much as I hate Sam. In fact, she is in the top three of my hate list.

He approaches us slowly, with his hands in his pockets. Billy had rolled toward him as fast as he could with a smile on his face. Jacob crouches and hugs his father, his black eyes filled with relief that Billy is okay. The sorrow then returns and his eyes were so empty they seemed like a glass bowl with no candy.

"I'm leaving, Dad. I'm sorry. The Rabbit's in the driveway."

But Billy smiles. "I'm just glad you're home, Jake. Take all the time you need- we'll be waiting when you come back."

With one last hug for his father, a height compliment and wink for Seth, and a smile for Sue, Jacob walks away. Out the front door he goes, and I turn to my family.

"I'm leaving too. Bye, Mom. Bye, little brother. Watch after yourself and Mom, okay?"

He nods and I follow Jacob out the door, returning to my life on the run. What I see chills me to the core, and a growl escapes my lips. Everything that I had built up comes crashing down again, and I feel tears in my eyes.

His arm tightens around her as I bear my teeth. From the edge of the trees, I see Jake staring at me. With my wolf-vision, I can see him moving towards me. They're talking about the baby… that damn baby. It's going to be tan, with black eyes like Sam's, and a soft face like Emily. And I'm going to hate that baby as much as I hate its parents. The couple sees me pass them and slip into the woods, where Jacob is waiting for me as a wolf. Tears sting at the corners of my eyes. But Jacob grins with pride, and after I phase, we run off into the night side by side.

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><p>I take down the deer with triumph. Ha! Even Jacob has to think that's impressive. As predicted, he says, <em>You're getting a lot better with the hunting thing.<em> I smile smugly, which I know looks kind of like I'm just bearing my ugly wolf teeth, but it's a smile in this form. But suddenly Jacob turns serious. His eyes on the ground, he asks, _Why are you here?_

_Because I need someone to hang with in my utter misery. _I answer as I sit up and wipe off blood from my paws. _And, like it or not, you're the only one I've got right now. And I'm all you have._

_Very true. _He replies. _You are all I have now. But why are you still here? _Jacob asked. _You could've stayed. I saw you with your family; you could've stayed._

_Sam. I can't bear to see Sam. And you. _He raises his head. I go on, _You're the only person that I trust, even when you bug the hell out of me. What you've done for me- no one else would ever do that for me. I wouldn't forgive myself if I let you down._

I hear the smile in his voice when he says, _You wouldn't be letting me down, Leah. If you want to go back, go ahead. I'd be fine on my own. Besides, when you were there for me at the wedding; that's more than I ever expected of you. And call this dumb, but I don't think I could've gone through with it if you hadn't been standing outside that door. _

That feels good. _Guess I'm not so bad after all, huh?_

_No, _he answers, _you're definitely not so bad._

**2½ weeks later…**

_Bella's back from her honeymoon, Jake. _Embry says.

Jacob says sarcastically, _So soon, huh?_

_Yeah, but Charlie told Billy that Bella isn't sounding too good these days… I guess that-_

_WHAT? Did they bite her? Is the treaty broken?_

Embry replies, _We don't know what's going on, but we're not sure if we should go over there. Sam says we keep the treaty until we are positive that she's been bitten._

I step into the conversation. _Well it's kind of obvious!_

_Sam's-_

Jacob shouted, _Who gives a damn what Sam says? I say we attack before people start getting hurt._

_And what about Bella? _Seth joins us. _Are you going to kill her yourself or force one of us to do it then hate us forever? _Jacob winces and has no response so Seth continues, _Yeah, I thought so. We have no proof that-_

_Shut up, Seth!_ Jacob yells. I raise an eyebrow; no picking on my little brother. Jacob sighs and says, _I'm sorry, but I don't know, okay? But we might as well nip it in the bud._

Embry says, _How about this: You go make sure that she's bitten and we will carry the message along to Sam and __**then**__ we attack._

_Forget you! I'll figure this out on my own!_

Embry and Seth fade from our minds, and Jacob paces in your frustration. I say as I inspect my claws, _So what's your big plan, genius? Take 'em all down on your own? _

_If I have to. _The thing that bothers me is that he actually sounds serious. _How about we stop by the Cullens' house for a little visit._

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><p>I insist that we stop at the reservation so I can see my family again, and Jacob hesitantly agrees. Now that we are human, I can think for myself. I think, <em>I'm worried about you, Jake. You can't go on like this. And this is a really, <em>_**really **__bad idea. _I had only come back with him to try and stop him, and Jacob might hate me for this, but I have to tell Sam. If I can't stop him, then Sam may be the only one who can. I visit my mother, enjoy a box of muffins and three mugs of coffee, and leave to find Sam. I had seen how determined Jacob was; I can't stop him on my own.

He sees me coming and meets me outside Emily's house in the trees. For a few moments, we just stare at each other. Finally I say, "I need your help. Jacob wants to go after the Cullens, and you have to stop him. Did- did he actually bite her?"

"We don't know," he answers in that cool, husky voice of his. "But we aren't going to attack until we're sure. Actually, how about you check, just see if she's human. Jacob can be your back-up. Just stall long enough to make sure. I will be waiting in the forest if you need me and we can contact the other wolves if necessary."

I nod. This is not Leah and Sam. This is a wolf accepting orders from its alpha. Completely professional. But then it changes when Sam speaks as I turn away, "I'm sorry, Leah. I'm sorry I hurt you."

"Not good enough," I whisper as I look back. "Sorry cannot make up for what you put me through."

Pain flashes in his eyes and he says, "Leah, I never _ever_ meant to hurt you."

"I waited, you know. I waited and waited for that prince charming that never came."

"Leah…"

I break. "I don't care, Sam! I don't care how sorry you are! I don't care how much you used to love me! And I definitely don't care about you, Emily, and that baby. I don't care!"

Sam begins to shout right back. "Do you think this has been easy for me? It was you, Leah! I know that I am supposed to be with you! If there were no imprint, I would be with you right now! But I can't change how I feel! If I could, I would go back to the day I imprinted on Emily and reverse it! But this is my destiny!"

"Sometimes love is stronger than destiny," I hiss. "You could've been with me, Sam. If you had loved me enough, you could've overcome the imprint. You just chose not to. Because I'm not enough, and I was never enough. I don't care about the past now. I forgive you. I forgive you for falling in love with my best friend, for deserting me, and for hurting me in every way possible. I forgive you because I don't care anymore. And I want you to live a better life than I will, be happier than I will. I love you, Sam. I love you more than life itself. I'm done with this."

_I'm free. I'm finally free._

**Well what do you think? If you hate it, just say so and I will try not to scream.**


	10. Try and Stop Me

**Sorry it's been so long, but here is the next chapter. PLEASE review.**

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><p>Chapter 10<p>

Leah says that we should just check and then attack. I begrudgingly accept, although I know I should've protested. Of course, I'm still shocked over the whole Sam thing she showed me when we were phased. She peeks into the window and I hear her gasp. "Oh my God."

I run into the house at an inhuman speed, barging through the door. The living room is empty, but I smell blood from that cup on the coffee table. Racing upstairs, I burst in the room, and the world comes to a stop. She's sick alright. Sick, pale, bags under her eyes. She lays on the couch of what I think is the leech's room, her stomach bulging. I couldn't take my eyes off it, despite the bloodsucker that is growling at me, daring me to move closer to the pregnant girl. Trust me, I won't.

I try to hold it together as trembles run through my body, taking control. Sure, leave for Italy. Go ahead, take him back. I'm overjoyed you're engaged. Yeah, go get married. I am so ecstatic you're freaking pregnant!

"Jacob, Jacob," I hear her whisper my name over and over again, trying to soothe me.

_What did I do? What did I do to deserve this? Am I so terrible? So terrible that I deserve __**this**__?_

If karma is in charge of this, then I have done something terrible sometime in my life. My body is shaking so hard that I make a mad dash for the window before I can phase, crashing through the glass wall. I land on my paws and take off through the woods. I leave behind Leah, Bella, and the darn bloodsucker.

_Life sucks. It sucks A LOT. _

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><p>(Leah's POV)<p>

"You bitch! You freaking bitch!" I am on the verge of slapping the shit out of Bella Swan. My judgment is teetering on the edge while I try to decide whether to slap or punch this dumb girl. I shout, "How could you do this to Jacob? Do you have no heart? Or are you just plain stupid? Do you realize that you have a bloodsucker in your stomach? If that little monster doesn't kill you, we will. Wait and see."

Bella is crying while the blonde one stood by her side, glaring at me. I shot daggers back through my eyes. I bent down to whisper to Bella, "You never deserved Jacob's love. All you ever did was hurt him. Well he's done with you. You are a sick, demented person if you lack enough sense to pass by someone so great. I hope you're proud of yourself. Jacob's never going to love like he loved you, and he's never going to be truly happy. And I will be blunt and say that it is truly your fault."

The blondie runs to attack me, but I hop out the shattered glass wall, landing solidly on my feet. I look back on today. This morning, I told Sam that I forgive him. Then, Jacob found out Bella's pregnant and ran into the woods. Just now, I told Bella what a complete asshole is she is. All that's left is meeting with the pack and getting Jacob back.

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><p><em>Jacob! Jacob, wait!<em> Leah yells.

_Leave me alone, Leah! This isn't how it's supposed to happen! I'm not supposed to fall in love at 16 with a girl who loved a freaking vampire and is having his monster!_

_Tell me how I can help_, she pleads. _I want to help…_

I answer pained, _Make it stop. You want to help? Well make this stop. All of it. Just make it stop and I won't ever be a jerk to you again. _

…_I'm sorry, Jake_, she says in a softer tone. _I'm so sorry. You deserve so much better than this. You deserve to be happy._

_You do too, Leah. But leave me alone for a while, kay?_

I reach the cliff I was looking for, the one that Bella had jumped off, and I howl. I howl so long and loud my dad can hear me, so loud that people may be thinking _What the hell was that_, so loud people may file animal threats. I don't want to feel like this anymore. I don't want to wake up to pain and sorrow. I don't want to live my life like this.

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><p>(Leah's POV)<p>

I cringe as Jacob's agonized howl sounds in my ear while I run to the emergency meeting Sam held once he heard what had happened. I arrive at the clearing where most of the wolves already are, and Sam stares at me even longer than usual. It's easier, I suppose, being around him knowing that I have forgiven him. I feel like a bird that has been freed from its cage after what seems like forever. I've had so much bitterness in my heart since Sam went with Emily, but it and the nagging pain weren't going to go away even if Sam broke up with her. They would only loosen their hold if I forgave him. And I will always hurt over Sam, always feel a little bitterness towards Emily, but it's different now because forgiveness sets you on the road to moving on. Because I forgave him, I can finally move on.

_Good, we're all here. _Sam says a few moments later once Quil arrives from the other side of town. _It seems that Bella Swan is not yet a vampire. However, she has an offspring of them inside her, making it, I suppose, a half-breed. Leah saw it herself earlier. We need to get rid of it before it becomes a threat. We don't know what this… thing is, but it must surely be an abomination. It's not natural. Granted, werewolves and vampires are not natural, but this is beyond even that. Humans and vampires should not mix, and as Quileutes, we need to defend human kind from any vampire, including their… offspring._

_Are we going to attack? Won't the Cullens fight back? _Seth asks, still having images of our truce to fight the newborn army.

_I am sure the Cullens are going to defend Bella and that baby, but unless they can get it out without biting her, we have to attack. We have no other choice._

Quil asks, _Are they going to kill us?_

_Not if we're prepared, _Sam answers.

_So we have to kill all of them- even Bella?_ Brady asks, still not understanding the concept of "attack".

_I'm afraid so_, Sam says with sadness in his voice. I know that he doesn't want to kill Bella or any of the Cullens, especially Carlisle. He helped Jacob when he was injured, he welcomed us to their training sessions, and all of them had our backs during the battle. But Sam is right. We have no choice.

Jacob, miles away, had kept silent until now. _Don't. Please, you can't._

Sam uses his commanding alpha tone. _We have to. They have created a monster, Jacob! We cannot let it live when it is a danger to humanity._

_How do you know it's a danger to humanity?_ Jacob asks.

_Jacob, listen to me. I know you love Bella, but she has chosen them. And there is no possible way this vampire-human child cannot be a threat. We have to get rid of it._

We all know he is right. This abomination cannot be allowed to live any longer. It's killing its mother as we speak. But Jacob still defies him, _Then you'll have to go through me_.

I try to reason with him. _They're going to bite her anyway! Either way, we will have to attack! You know that she knew what was going to happen between you! She brought this upon herself. _

_I won't let you kill her. _Jacob says darkly. _If you want to kill her, kill me first._

Idiot. Utter moron. Why can't he just accept that Bella is his enemy now? For God's sake, she is carrying the child of a leech! Does that not bother him?

_Are you trying to tell me that you are protecting the vampires? _Sam asks. _Are you betraying us for them? Our enemies? I cannot allow that to happen._

_Try and stop me. _

**I fairly warned you that this was not a Jacob/Leah romance so do not get all zippy about Jake going after Bella. Please review and tell me what you think.**


	11. Love or Loyalty

Chapter 11

I arrive at the Cullens and cordially knock on the door. Before I can knock a second time, Dr. Fang answers. He says, "Hello Jacob."

"Um, hey. I need to talk to you guys." I look past him to the living room where _Edward_- I'm getting good at this- is playing the piano. And on the couch: Bella. I turn my head away quickly, seeing Blondie and Pixie look up from Bella out of the corner of my eye. The big one and the blonde army one come down the stairs while the mother comes from the kitchen. The playing stops. Why all of a sudden do I feel really out of place? I make sure to stay in the doorway in case I need to make a quick escape.

"What's he doing here," Blondie hisses. I glare back.

"I'm here to warn you. The pack is going to attack. They feel it is their duty to get rid of the… thing before it can hurt anyone. Apparently, it's a bit late for that," I say, looking at the sickly girl on the couch who is still in shock. They all close in on me. I continue, "Wait, wait! Not me! I'm on your side."

Carlisle asks unbelievingly, "You'd fight to protect it?"

"Her," I correct him. I'd never fight to protect that little demon in her belly. I'm only here because of the mother. The stupid, clumsy, _human_ mother that was dumb enough to have sex with a freaking vampire while she is, I repeat, _human_. I go on, "I am willing to patrol the area and be your… guard I guess since I will hear whatever Sam's planning. Trust me," I look at the Blondie, "you want me on your side."

"We do," Carlisle says. "Thank you, Jacob. See if you can find more information. We will work on a battle strategy. It's such a shame it had to come to this, isn't it?"

I nod and begin to walk back out the door, but Edward passes with a whisper. "Outside." I follow him down the porch steps. He turns to me. "I want you to convince Bella not to have the baby."

"Isn't that your job?"

He sighs. "I've tried, but she is intent on having the baby, and look at what it's doing to her. I can't take it anymore."

"What makes you think she'll listen to me if she won't listen to you?"

He stares stubbornly. "Because you're her best friend. When I left and you stitched her back, that had a big impact on her and you. She has a connection with you that she doesn't have with me, as much as I hate to admit that. Please, Jacob. I'm begging you."

"Say that last part one more time," I say, cherishing every word of this.

He narrows his eyes before they soften again. This time he looks ready to get on his knees as he says, "I am begging you. Talk to her. Convince her not to have the baby. You're the only one she'll listen to at this point. I've tried and so has Carlisle, but we can't shake her from it. Your bond with her is irreplaceable so you might just have a chance."

I sigh and go back inside. The Cullens go to discuss while I sit on the plushy chair across from the white couch where Bella lies, still uncomfortable being in their home with a full house of vampires. Not the best environment for a werewolf. I'm forcing myself to be interested in the coffee table as I play with my hands. I hear her say, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

I completely ignore her stupid, petty apologies and get to the point. I whisper, "Why are you doing this, Bella? This thing is going to kill you. Do you like living?"

"Of course. But I want this baby. I don't care what it takes."

Suddenly, the door flies open. Leah and Seth stand in the doorway. After a contempt glare at Bella, she says, "You are such a dick, Jacob. Ugh. Here's your new pack."

"Pack?" I say with a smirk. Where does pack fit into _I'm in this alone_?

Seth is practically jumping up and down with excitement. "Yeah! Now you don't have to be alone in this!" Did he read my mind and change it to the opposite?

"What if I want to be alone?" They glance at each other, and I snap, "Didn't think about it, did you? Can't you both just leave me alone?"

Leah stares intensely at me. "I could, but I won't. You need us more than you think, Jacob. Don't push us away."

I don't know how to reply to that. I have never seen Leah so compassionate. I say, "Fine. Look out for the pack outside. Listen in on any plans or strategies. Minds blank when they're talking."

They smile at my Alpha tone before walking out, probably relieved to get farther away from this ungodly smell. I turn back to Bella who's reaching for a cup on the table. She says with a weak smile, "Looks like you've got yourself a posse, Jake."

I grin. If her stomach wasn't bulging and she didn't look like a train had ran over her, this could be like the good old days in my garage. Making jokes while Bella tried to figure out which tool was which. I was fifteen and I had a good life. I had a best friend that I secretly liked. I had two guy friends who always had my back. Then, the werewolf thing hit, I found out about vampires and Bella, and everything went downhill. Like I mentioned before, _Life sucks_.

I say, "Well, it seems I do. …I'm not going to scream at you to not have the baby, although I really want to. But I hope you know what you're doing to yourself- and to others."

"What do you mean?"

I sigh. Why does she have to be so clueless? I say, "Besides Blondie, the Cullens don't seem too thrilled. And what about the wolves? That… that thing… it's tearing my pack apart. And Leah and Seth… they mean more to me than you think. I've ripped them away from the pack and their mom… Do you see what your decision is doing to Edward? Did you see his face? Never in my entire life would I _ever_ imagine Edward Cullen begging me to do something for him. That takes a whole lot of pain and desperation. He was practically on his knees, for God's sake. And what about me, Bella? This hurts me to see you like this more than you know. Especially since I've given up everything to protect it."

I clutch my fingers in my hair, knowing that I said too much. My mouth ran away with me again. I hear Bella's ragged breaths before she answers, "I'm sorry, but… this baby means more to me than _you_ think, more than they think. It's a part of me now, and I already love it as my own child."

"It's not a child, Bella! It's a vampire-human… thing! It's not a part of the natural world!"

"Neither are you or Edward!" She says in her strongest voice.

I clench my teeth. "You don't know what this thing is capable of. It's going to destroy you before you even give birth to it. Then, it probably won't even survive. You know what that means? You died for nothing, Bella." Tears run down her cheeks as I try to control my temper and the slight shaking that is going through my body. I sigh. "I can't let you get hurt, Bella. I won't see you get hurt."

"It's my choice," she persists. "Edward can't make it for me, or Carlisle, or you. This is my decision, and I'm deciding to have the baby."

_Mother fu_- Edward runs down the stairs. _No luck yet_, I think to him. Slight disappointment shows on his face before he sits beside Bella. He asks, "How are you feeling? Do you need anything?"

"I'm cold," she whispers.

Edward immediately stands. I walk to the couch, muttering, "Space heater coming through." Bella sits up, and I plop down on the cushion. She leans against me, and out of habit, I put my arm around her. In moments she's sleeping. I look up at Edward and say, "Well? What the hell are you going to do about this?"

He runs his hands though his hair as he begins to pace. "I don't know."

"Does Dr. Fa- Carlisle know more about the baby?" I inquire.

"I don't know." His feet continue to move back and forth across the hardwood floor.

"When's the baby due?"

"I don't know!" He says, exasperated.

"Well you can't let her have the baby, for one thing," I state obviously, not fazed by his outburst.

He groans as he turns to pace the opposite direction. "She won't let me get Carlisle to take it out. I've tried everything, even you."

I sigh. "Let me talk to her some more. Or you could try. The only button I pushed that actually had some effect is the 'look what you're doing to me and Edward button'. That's where I made the most progress. You should try it."

"No, she'll listen to you. I'm pretty sure. Alice!" He calls.

She is down the stairs in a millisecond. She looks to me and says, "I don't know what you said, but Bella's future… she hasn't decided. You're better than I thought, dog. Look at you, altering her decision."

I shake my head, deciding to be noble and honest for once. "Nah, it was Edward. She didn't start to quaver until I mentioned what she's doing to him. So her future is undecided then?"

"I still see her becoming a vampire, the baby thing isn't decided, and then… there are blank spots. You or one of the wolves are somewhere in her future, Jacob."

The latter option is probably less likely…


	12. Moving On

**There are tons of Twilight fans out there, right? So I hope that this statement won't hurt their feelings or yours (I'm talking my readers here): I don't really like Twilight. It seemed so cool when I was 10 (when I first read the books), but it's not all that. Especially after seeing the lame movies, I became convinced that I didn't like it. You're all probably like: then what the freak are you doing writing a story about it? Well, I started this a while ago, back when I was on the verge of not liking twilight. Once I posted it, I didn't want to quit on it. So I didn't. But now (thankfully) it's almost over! Enjoy and Review!**

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><p>Chapter 12<p>

_All clear, _I say as Jacob trots out of the woods where he phased after finally leaving the Cullen house. _Seth is patrolling the driveway and woods surrounding it. _

He nods before saying, _She's not sure about the baby. I think I'm getting to her. The psychic one says one of us -most likely me- is somewhere in her future, but she is going to become a vampire._

_Does that mean…_ I began. Well, it wouldn't be so bad if I see her in the future and slap her across her face. I've been wanting to do that for so long.

_I don't know. _

Seth breaks the solemn mood by saying, _Is anyone hungry yet?_

_Starved, _I admit, looking at Jacob. He says, _Hunting._

_Do we have to? _I ask, remembering all the raw, disgusting, slimy meat I've already eaten these past months. Too much. And it was especially terrible because sometimes I had to turn off the human part of my mind just to swallow. It got me thinking like Jacob, like a wolf.

He replies, _It's that or the Cullens' food._

_Let hunt, shall we?_

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><p>Seth, finally taking down a deer, says, <em>This is really gross.<em> I agree, and after we all eat our fill of disgusting raw meat, we return to the Cullen home. I don't exactly understand why we are risking our necks to protect this demon-child, but all I know is that Jacob needs us. We can't let him do this alone. He heads inside and Seth and I patrol the area as the hour wears on, coming closer to when Sam will attack. We hear him start to speak, and I force myself to blank my mind.

_We'll attack in two days- sunrise. We need to nip this in the bud before it gets any more dangerous. Meet at Emily's and we'll think of a strategy._

He says nothing more, and I tell Seth to phase back so we can tell Jacob and the Cullens. I think to the mind-reader, _We have information. _He opens the door and says, "Come on in."

I hesitate, but Seth is happy to oblige. He struts into the house with an eager jump in his step and I follow after uncomfortably. Again I see the pale girl on the couch and feel a burst of sharp contempt before saying, "They are attacking in two days. Morning at sunrise."

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><p>"Alice, your gift will be useless in this battle. However, we have these three which gives us an advantage. With Edward, they will do anything unexpected. So when they think something, be prepared for them to do the opposite." Blond army leech -Jasper- is saying. "The wolves are fiery, and can fight just as well as us."<p>

I'm trying to keep back trembles as I think of fighting my own pack. I'll be biting at the Sam, the man I've always loved. Attacking Embry, that sweet boy next door. Aiming to hurt Quil, the one who was semi-nice to me when he came over for dinner. They're my pack, the only people who can get inside my head, literally. They know me like I know myself, and now I'm out to hurt them, even Sam. I chose Jacob over Sam. Why? He's just that boy under the hood of my mother's car, that boy who's always stuck up for Vampire Girl, that boy who can bring a smile out of anyone. I can call him a friend, but that is all. Isn't love put over friendship? Shouldn't it be?

"They're large, they're fast, and they have experience. But get your arms around them, and they'll break like he did." I see Jacob flinch. "If you can, knock them out, but don't kill them." It makes me want to vomit just thinking about that. Killing my lover. Killing the boy next door. It sounds so wrong, especially since they are who we should be loyal to. The pack is where our loyalties should lie. Not with these soul-sucking leeches. Jacob Douche-bag Black is the only thing keeping me here.

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><p>People say eavesdropping is rude, but I just can't help it, especially when my senses are way better than a normal human's. It's too easy to hear Jacob and Bella talking upstairs as I sit on the couch stuffing chips (newly opened and untouched by leeches) in my mouth. Seth sits beside me, and it's obvious he can hear them too, but he seems to try to keep his focus on the television. As the werewolf movie proceeds, the villagers close in on the werewolf, torches and pitchforks in hand. The beast escapes as if it were no challenge, and I smirk.<p>

Honestly, staying at the Cullens' wasn't so bad. They let us stay in the house and sleep- as wolves. That's actually how we're most comfortable. Of course, I stayed up most the time in case something went wrong, but I had learned to trust the Cullens a little bit. They seem like they're trying to accept us. And their food isn't bad as long as they don't touch it. I hear Jacob begin to speak again from upstairs- where he's been trying to talk her out of it most of the night.

"Don't tell me that you don't see how much it's hurting him," Jacob is saying. "All he cares about is you, and he'd die before he sees you get hurt by that thing. So would I. Go ahead, tell me I'm an asshole, but the pack is going to attack and any one of us could get hurt. Even Seth and Leah. I'm keeping them here and they're turning on them because of me, and I'm turning on the pack because of you."

_Jeez, guilt trip much? He definitely knows how to play it, that's for sure. But he better hurry up. The sun rises in fifteen minutes._

Bella replies after several minutes, probably several minutes of war within herself. "Fine. I-I won't have the baby. I'm doing this for you and Edward- no one else."

We are all in the room in a matter of seconds (I guess everyone was eavesdropping) and Edward approaches her slowly, sinking down to her level as she sits on the couch. He whispers, "Are you sure, love?"

She nods. "If you were killed, I would have no reason for living. There is only one thing that means more to me than this baby, and that's you."

As he pulls her into an embrace, I see Jacob turning away, the haunting pain back in his eyes. Passing Seth and me, he mutters, "We're done here."

My eyes follow him as he sulks out the door before they go to the couple by the couch. I say, "Get out of here while you still can. We'll tell the pack about your decision, but you still need to leave when you bite her… The sun's coming up. After this, there is no more truce."

I walk out with Seth behind me to the lawn where the pack is in a half circle around the house. A russet wolf stands in the center, guarding the house. I can't hear him, but I know he's telling them that Bella has changed her mind. Sam's face and structure soften, and he gives a slight nod. Quil and Embry rush towards Jake and they bump noses with cheerful barks. I look past them to Sam and he notions to the woods. I leave Seth and go into the forest, phasing behind a tree. When I turn, a black wolf waits for me.

_You chose them_, he states. _Why?_

_Jacob's my friend. He's the only one who's gotten me through this, and I couldn't turn my back on him._

Sam argues, _He turned his back on us, Leah. He defended our enemies- and so did you and Seth._

_I'm sorry I dragged Seth into this, but he kind of wanted to go. This isn't entirely my fault. Besides, she's not having the baby. Can you relax for ten seconds and realize that we just avoided a big fight? How would you have felt if any of the three of us got hurt? What if you were the one that did it?_

_I would never forgive myself if I hurt you again._

_The first time would've been worse._

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><p>The pack celebrates with glee that we avoided a fight and that Seth and Jake are back in the pack. I don't think they really missed me that much. Paul stuffs another biscuit down his throat as Seth and Quil fight over the last hot dog. Why are boys such pigs? I mean, I get hungry, but they look like barbarians.<p>

I turn my head to see Sam and Emily on the couch, his arm around her. The usual pain hits me, but it's not as bad anymore. I can move on now. Maybe- someday- I can actually be happy.

Embry joins me on a stool next to the counter. He smiles and says, "So, the girl next door's back from her adventure. I have to admit: I kind of missed you annoying me."

I grin. "And I missed annoying you: boy next door who kicked a soccer ball through my window."

He shrugs with one shoulder. "Be happy it wasn't a baseball."

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><p><strong>I have one word for you: Review.<strong>


	13. Fate and Destiny

**Thank you to all my supporters! Couldn't have done it without you!**

Chapter 13

**No copyright intended**

"_It was hard love, _

_But it was love just the same_

_Not the stuff of fantasy_

_But more than just a game…"_

_- Bob Franke "Hard Love"_

I go to say goodbye to Bella- one last time. It's been three days since her decision, and the baby is out. I've never been religious, but praise the lord. Edward said that she wants to see me, that she has something to tell me. But after this- I'm done. I can't let her mess with me anymore. She's got me going back and forth, and when I finally muster enough courage to say goodbye, she pulls me back again. I can't take any more of this.

When I enter the room, she smiles weakly from the bed. Edward said Carlisle had to do a slight surgery to get the baby out, but it was harmless. I sit beside her as she says, "You helped me make the right choice. Thank you."

"You're not upset?"

"No. That baby wasn't going to live anyways. Carlisle said that it would've died in 24 hours max if I had decided to keep it. And the baby- it wasn't right. It wasn't meant to live… I saw your face when I decided not to have the baby. What was wrong? Weren't you happy?"

For that one day, I didn't hurt so much anymore. Then, you told him that he was all that mattered. He was the only thing that changed your mind… I say sadly, "I was reminded that I didn't belong in your life- that I am not a part of your life anymore."

"I'm sorry. … But you are a part of my life. Remember Alice's vision? In fact, she says that she sees more. Now that I'm not having the baby, she sees me going to college with them. I'm a vampire. Then, there are blank spots. Maybe I'll see you at college, Jake."

"I'm still in high school."

"We're gonna wait a year before going to college. You know- for me to get under control. And we're moving to Alaska in a couple days. I already told Charlie. Jake, turn off the lights and lay down beside me. I want to show you something."

I slowly lay down on the bed beside her as she tries to make more room for my huge form. I see a skylight and millions of stars staring back at us, smiling down at us. She whispers, "There are so many people out there, just like those stars. A lot of them don't shine very bright, but I know you do. And you're right there."

She points to the brightest star that we can see from the skylight and I say, "No. You know, that's probably two stars that are close together. You and Edward. I'm probably just one of those." I gesture to a group of tiny dim stars.

Bella shakes her head. "You don't know how wrong you are. … I know this is a lot to ask Jacob, but maybe you could come see me in Alaska some time, without attacking me. I know we can't be together completely, but nothing could make me happier if I saw you again. Or in a year if I saw a russet wolf running around in the woods around campus, I would know the true meaning of happiness."

"I'll visit. I heard there have been sudden killings on and off up there in the past few years. I'll have to check it out." _Is that even a lie?_

"Of course. Pack business after all." She says, smiling.

A solemn mood takes me over and I say, "You know I'll always love you, right?"

"I'll always love you too. It's stupid how fate and destiny have to be so different."

**1 year later in Alaska**

I know I'm making my dad proud. He's always wanted me to go to college and make something of myself. Leah says she's coming to visit me this weekend- with Embry. I still haven't figured that one out. But I've been tracking a vampire up here for a couple days, and I need help to catch it. Now, on my first day of college, I look around for my very first class. I think it's this building. Someone opens the door and I mutter thanks as I pass through, still looking at my schedule and map.

"You're welcome." I freeze at the voice and walk back out the door. I grin. "Well what do ya know, the leech is going back to college for the twentieth time."

Edward smiles. "I actually prefer high school, but yeah, I've graduated college too every now and then. I see you're still the same age."

It's true, I don't look any different. I am seriously considering being sixteen forever. If the pack is no more, there will always be one protector no matter what. I reply, "Yep. But I can pass for eighteen, right?"

"Of course. How are you, Jacob?"

I nod. "I've been pretty good. You know, just trying to be a normal guy."

"I've been through that one. It's hard sometimes, right?"

"Harder than one would think. And if you hear any howling, don't get out your gun. …Is she here?"

He nods just as a young woman approaches us. Golden eyes look at me and a smile comes over Bella's face. Her hair is longer now and her form is curvier. She hurries at a slow human speed and throws her arms around me. "You actually came. I've waited for you to come visit me like you said. I smelled your scent a few months ago, and I couldn't believe I had missed you." She drops down to stand beside Edward who puts his arm around her.

Her voice is like little bells chiming, the pitch perfect, but it's still Bella. Well not completely. There's no heartbeat or pink cheeks or pulse, but I can tell that this hasn't changed who she is.

"Of course, Bells. You know I'm all about keeping my word."

"So what have you been up to?"

"Tracking vampires, unpacking in my dorm, you know."

"Can you believe that we're all here? Isn't is crazy how life works?"

I nod with a smile at both of them. "Well, fate can be a real bitch sometimes."

The End

"_It was hard love, _

_But it was love just the same_

_Not the stuff of fantasy_

_But more than just a game…"_

_- Bob Franke "Hard Love"_

**No copyright intended**


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